Strategic Clarity

From one employee companies to multi-nationals through to our personal and professional lives it is virtually impossible to reach any goal we set unless that goal is simple and clear.

Similarly if you wish to bring others along for the ride how will they know what’s in your head unless you actually communicate it? In steps strategic clarity..

This is pretty basic stuff but time and time again businesses and their managers fall into this one basic trap. Large companies tend to keep the organisation’s goals and the strategic map to get there as the exclusive domain of the board and executive team and for smaller companies, the owners. Whilst we often fail to admit it, those in higher echelons can be perceived as selfish, even elitist, with their goals and miss out on the power of bringing everyone along for the ride.

“why would I accumulate so many talented and dedicated employees and then not make use of their accumulated years of insight and experience?”

Ask yourself the question, “why would I accumulate so many talented and dedicated employees and then not make use of their accumulated years of insight and experience?” It’s plainly poor leadership not to do so and when it occurs it produces a workforce content to do their own thing which is often completely misaligned to strategy. One of the main causes of demotivated workforces is purposeful or unintentional dislocation between the goals of the company and its employees.

Some quick lessons learnt:

Owners and Managers – the intentional or unintentional power trip of withholding strategy is:

a false economy;

perceived as poor leadership;

isolates you from your team(s);

puts you under more pressure because the load is not shared; and

ultimately demotivates your people.

Actions

Be clear and unambiguous about your goals

Communicate your goals in simple and easily remembered terms

Collaborate with your team and ask for ideas to assist

Regularly update the team on progress

Always acknowledge team and individual progress on reaching your goals